10. Found

SPOV

I brushed the hair out of the girls face and gasped.

It was Mitchie.

I stumbled back to the wall, then dropped beside her.

"Mitchie!" I gasped. "Wake up!"

I turned to my friends. "It's her!" I cried.

They looked at her.

"I think she's asleep," Jason said knowingly.

I didn't answer.

I stared at the girl. She wore her hair down, and her clothes were familiar.

The outfit she wore on stage at Final Jam.

I stroked her cheek. "Mitchie," I whispered. "Wake up."

She wasn't dead. Not yet. Her face was pale.

"Jason," I murmured. "Give me your water bottle."

Jason handed it to me. I gently pulled Mitchie's chin down and squirted the water into her mouth.

She coughed violently, spitting most of the water back onto the asphalt. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared right at me.

MPOV

All I knew was that someone had put water in my mouth. It choked me. I coughed and opened my eyes.

And found myself staring into the warm, dark eyes of Shane Gray.

"Shane!" I gasped.

"Mitchie," he whispered, then threw his arms around me.

I shivered, weak and hungry, but I returned the hug.

"How did you find me?" I whispered. I suddenly noticed Jason and Nate standing silently behind us.



He pushed my face in front of his and brushed my hair back. "That isn't important right now," he said quietly. "Are you okay?"

I shivered again. "I'm cold," I admitted. "And hungry. But I was sick earlier and I didn't want to eat anything."

Shane stood up, pulling me with him. "It's okay," he whispered. "We'll take care of you. Come on, now."

"We'll go get the limo," Nate said. He and Jason sprinted off.

I wobbled and fell against Shane. He grabbed my wrists and held me steady.

"How did you find me?" I repeated.

He stared at me, gently brushing back my hair.

"You were singing," he said. "The exact same lines I heard almost a year ago. I knew it was you instantly."

I smiled gently. "Really?" I whispered.

Shane shrugged out of his jacket and put it around my shoulders. "Really," he promised.

It was then that I got a good look at his face. He had a black eye, and his arm had a horrible bruise on it.

"What happened to you?" I gasped, reaching out with my shaking hand to touch under his eye.

He reached into his pocket and took out my necklace. "Someone robbed you yesterday," he whispered.

I nodded. "How did you know?"

"I saw him selling your clothes." A fierce anger entered his eyes and voice. "And he was a good fighter."

I shook my head, only managing to make myself dizzy. My knees gave out, and he caught me. "Shane Gray," I whispered. "I thought the camp fixed you."

"It wasn't the camp," he said. "It was you. And I promise you something."

"What?"

"I will never let you be hurt by anyone ever again. You're safe now. I promise." He handed me my necklace.

I felt tears rolling down my face. "Thank you, Shane," I whispered.

The limo pulled up and Shane and I climbed in. I was so tired.

"Lie down," Shane commanded me, pulling me down so I was, more or less, stretched out in his lap.



Jason and Nate watched my solemnly. Finally, Nate spoke.

"Mitchie, how did you get to L.A.?" he asked.

I coughed and shivered. "I took all the money out of my bank account," I whispered weakly. "Someone bought me a ticket with my money. And then, when I landed, I took a bus to downtown."

Nate nodded, then leaned over to open up the mini fridge. I saw many types of junk food.

Cheetos, Sour Cream and Onion chips, turkey sandwiches. My mouth began to water.

He handed me a sandwich. "Eat slowly," he suggested.

I cautiously took a bite. It stayed down, so I finished the sandwich. Jason handed me a blanket. I curled up under it and closed my eyes.

Shane stroked my hair again. "Just sleep," he said gently. "You're safe now."